Ordeal for commuters, students as aquatic weeds keep hundreds isolated on Kakkathuruth Island

Aroor: A thick blanket of aquatic weeds covering the backwaters has completely isolated Kakkathuruth, an island hamlet in Ezhupunna panchayat. With crossing the backwaters being their only link to the mainland, life for the islanders has ground to a painful halt. The weed infestation has thrown everyday life into severe disarray. The crisis peaks during the morning and evening rush hours - precisely when residents set out for work and school and are back - as the growth becomes so dense that country boats cannot ride through.

Home to over 200 families in Ward 9 of the panchayat, the island lacks basic amenities - there are no ration shops or government offices, with an Ayurveda dispensary being the sole facility. To earn a daily wage or attend school and college, residents must cross over the water course to reach the National Highway at Eramalloor.

The half-kilometer stretch of water, which commuters rely on small ferry boats to cross, is now carpeted with weeds. Frustrated parents say they are frequently forced to keep their children home from school. Commuting has turned into an ordeal, with passengers spending nearly an hour physically clearing and pushing through the dense weeds just to get the boat from one bank to the other.

While similar hardships at Anchuthuruth, another island in the Aroor constituency, prompted Deputy Speaker Shanimol Usman to initiate relief measures and set the wheels in motion for a bridge, the promise of a bridge to Kakkathuruth has remained a mirage for decades. Authorities claim that estimates have been prepared, funds sanctioned for the bridge and approach road, and compensation disbursed to landholders. Yet, on the ground, the bridge remains nothing more than a pipe dream. Until words turn into action, fragile country boats remain the islanders' only lifeline to the outside world.